Tool for stretching wire.



J. W. SNEDEKBR.

TOOL FOR STRETCHING WIRE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 6, 1914.

Patented Dec. 8, 191 i [NVE/VTO/l James WSneda/(ar A. TTORVZL'I/ I WTZVESSZS Q44 W mmw JAMES W. SNEDEKER. OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

TOOL FOR STRETCHING WIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Application filed March 6, 1914. Serial No. 822,790.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES W. SNEDEKER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tools for Stretching \Vire; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

' This invention relates to tools for stretching wire, and consists in the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a light, strong and inexpensive hand tool for stretching wire, especially adaptable for use in stretching line wires of wire fence fabric, in which the construction of the tool is such as to provide for the combination therewith of such other tools as are usually required for use in the general operations of setting, up and repairing wire fences, whereby the general utility and efi'iciency of the tool is enhanced through its adaptability to such general uses.

The above object is attained by the employment of the construction and arrangement of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the tool in connection with a fence post and wire strand, showing the tool in position for the operation of stretching the wire upon the post, and indicating by dotted lines the position of the parts at the completion of the operation. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the tool, showing the general form and arrange ment of the parts. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section through the pivoted parts of the tool, taken on dotted line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the tool, showing.

wires clamped therein in position to. be twisted as in joining or splicing wires together.

Referring to the drawings by the characters of reference marked thereon, 1 designates the handle of the tool which may be of any suitable length convenient to handle and to afford sufficient leverage, and which is preferably formed of tubing to make it comparatively light and strong. Attached angles therefrom in the plane of the stem, and has a cam shaped portlon 4 on one side of its periphery. Extending centrally through the cam and well into the body of the head 3, in the plane of the face of said head, is an aperture or slot 5 which divides said head centrally therethrough, and extending through said slot is a lever 6 which is pivoted through its body midway its length upon a pivot' stud 7 that passes through the head 3 eccentric to the major portion 8 of said cam, whereby said lever is permitted to swing from a position parallel with thehandle of the stretcher to a position at right angles thereto, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. j

Pivotally mounted upon the lever 6, at a point adjacent the periphery of the cam 4, is a curved clamping jaw 9 having an aperture 10 therethrough, through which said lever passes, and passing centrally through said jaw and lever is a rivet stud 11 upon upon which said jaw may oscillate. The inner edges of the jaw 9' upon the opposite sides of the lever are concaved to conform approximately to the periphery of the major portion of the cam of the head, and are spaced at a sufficient distance from the minor portion of said cam with respect to its axis as to provide space for the reception of a wire 12 between the edge of the jaw and the periphery of said cam upon either side of the lever, so that when the handle of said head is swung to a position approximately parallel with said lever the major portion of the cam will be brought into contact with the wire in a manner to wedge and clamp said wire firmly against {he concaved edge of said jaw, as shown in One end of the jaw 9 is provided with a projecting lug 13 which is adapted to en gage the head 3 at its point of juncture with the stem 2 when said handle and lever are swung into parallel relation with each other,

for the purpose of confining parallel wires, as at 14, therebetween to clamp and hold said wires in the manner as with tongs or pliers, when desirous of twisting said wires to connect them together in forming a splice.

Projecting from one side of the head 3,

near the bottom of the slot 5 therein, are shoulders 15 which extend upon each side of the lever 6 to form bearings upon which a short piece of wire may be placed and bent to the form of a staple by swinging the end.

16 of said lever across the wire and forcing the lever downwardly thereon to cause the ends of the wire to draw over said shoulders as its body is bent over the edge portion 17 of said lever in the form of a loop or staple (see Figs. 2 and 4).

To provide for cutting off the wire when desirous of providingsh'ort pieces for the making of staples, or for other purposes, a beveled cutting shoulder 18 is formed to project from the periphery of the head 3, and a reversely beveled cutting shoulder 19 is formed on the corresponding portion of the lever 6, between the passing cutting edges of which a wire may be cut when said lever and handle are swung toward each other, the end 20 of the lever 6 serving as a handle to be grasped in connection with the handle 1 for the purpose of applying leverage thereto in the manner of a shear or nipper, as shown in Fig. 4.

The end 20 of the lever 6 is reduced to form a tapered pointed terminal 21 which may be used for insertion between parallel wires for twisting them together as in tightening the guy wires of a fence post, and the opposite end 16 of said lever is provided with a hooked head 22 having a tapered point :23 and a forked heel 2 1 to serve for drawing staples and the like.

The wire cutting, staple forming and staple pulling features last described are of well known construction and use for their respective purposes, and are therefore not included as a part of the subject matter of this application but are shown herewith as the general. plan and construction of the stretching device permits of their ready and convenient incorporation to contribute added utility to the tool as a whole.

The operation of the device for stretching wire is as follows: The lever 6 being swung at right angles to the handle 1 places the jaw 9 away from the major portion of the cam of the head to permit the insertion of the wire 12 to be clamped between said jaw and cam. One end of the wire is secured to a suitable support, not shown, and the end 16 of the lever 6 is placed against a suitable post or support 25'. The handle of the tool is swung toward the end 20 of the lever to carry the major portion of the cam into contact with the wire 12 to bind and clamp said wire against the jaw of the lever, whereby said lever will be locked in engagement with the handle and caused to travel with the further swinging movement of said handle. The end 16 of the lever in contact with the post forms a fulcrum bearing upon which said lever and handle swing to afford the necessary leverage for. applying tension to the wire as said wire is drawn in contact with the face of the post, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, in which the completion of the movement of the lever in stretching the wire is indicated by dotted lines. The wire may then be secured to the face of the post and a reverse'moven'ient of the lever with respect to the handle, when said tool will be disengaged from the wire, as will be readily understood.

Having thus fully set forth my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A wire stretcher comprising a head having a cam thereon, a handle extending from said head, a slot extending through head at its point of juncture with said cam when said lever is swung into parallel relation with said handle. I V

2. A wire stretcher comprising a head having a cam thereon, a handle extending released from the clamping jaw and cam byi from said head, a slot extending through 7 said head and cam, a lever in said slot pivoted midway its length on a stud eccentric with said cam, a clamping jaw pivoted astride said lever and having a concavity 1n its edge upon opposite sides of said lever adapted to engage a wire member interposed between said jaw and the periphery of said cam, said lever adapted to swing at right angles to and parallel with said handle.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specifi-' cation in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES W. SNEDEKER. Witnesses B. F. WHEELER, M. E. BROESAMLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

